Love Wager
by PoTObLiViOn
Summary: Fuji made a bet with Saeki to prove that he was the most alluring. But the target that Saeki chose for him was a human frost. Did Fuji have enough charm to melt this block of ice?
1. The Bet

Summary:Fuji made a bet with Saeki to prove that he was the most alluring. The target was a human frost. Did Fuji have enough charm to melt this block of ice?

**CHAPTER 1 - THE BET**

"So, how about it? Do you think you can do it?" Saeki Kojirou challenged his long-time friend, Fuji Syusuke with a smirk. "Let's see you prove _just_ how alluring you are…."

A few of their friends snickered.

"Well, you have to admit that _I am _more beautiful than most of the girls in school," Fuji replied without any hint of arrogance. He was merely stating a fact.

"Ahh, so confident." Saeki's eyes suddenly took on an evil gleam. "Why don't we make a bet then?"

Everybody's ears perked up. This was about to get really interesting.

Fuji arched an eyebrow. "Oh? What sort of a bet?"

Saeki tapped a finger to his lips, as if seriously thinking about the matter. His face broke into a sly grin. "How about betting on getting someone to fall in bed with you? You could show us your alluring side that way…."

Fuji yawned. "That would be a piece of cake."

Their friends murmured among each other. That didn't sound challenging at all - with Fuji's looks, he could have the fiercest lion eating out of his hand in no time.

But Saeki was not perturbed. "Of course, we need to set a time limit. Shall we say, a week?"

Fuji nodded. He was getting interested. Let it be known, Fuji Syusuke never backed down from a bet, ever.

"And it's only fair that I get to choose the candidate for you, no?" Saeki added, his grin getting wider.

Fuji shrugged. "Fine by me, but _what _do I get when I win?" he asked with supreme confidence.

Saeki looked at the rest of his friends. Five pairs of watchful eyes stared back, waiting with baited breath for his answer. He returned his gaze to Fuji. "_If _you win…" Saeki deliberately stressed on the word _if_, "we will pay you 10,000 yen each. Won't we, guys?"

A collective gasp were heard. 10,000 yen? That was preposterous! Maybe they shouldn't get involved in this bet….

Fuji flashed a predatory smile. "Ah, that would come up to a sum of 60,000 yen now, wouldn't it?" He laughed. "I'm in. Just be prepared with the money by the end of this week."

"Saeki, we think…." one of their friends began, but a look from the said person stopped him in mid-sentence.

Saeki didn't seem to be fazed at all by Fuji's remark. He gave his friend a predatory smile of his own. "Now that that's settled, shall we move on to see who the lucky candidate is?"

Fuji assumed a bored look. "Or unlucky, depending on how you see it. So, which girl did you have in mind for me?"

Saeki laughed, finding his words highly amusing. "Ah, Fuji, I hate to correct you, but it's a _he _I had in mind."

Fuji sat up and shot his friend a venomous glare. "I'm not into gay relationship," he snapped.

"That may be so, but we have to make the bet worth our while, don't we? After all, the stakes here are rather high."

"All right then," Saeki finally relented a bit, seeing how Fuji was not mollified. "We shall changed the rules slightly in view of this, ah…setback. Instead of getting him into your bed, you only have to get a full kiss on the lips from him now. What do you say to that?"

Fuji remained silent. The whisperings among his friends were getting louder. They were quite hopeful that they got to keep their 10,000 yen now.

"Oh, come on. How else can you prove that you are the most alluring other than to get someone of the same sex to fall for you? Unless, of course, our Fuji here lacks the confidence…" Saeki taunted.

Fuji narrowed his eyes. He hated to give in like that. "You say it's only a kiss, right?" he asked for confirmation. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Just think of it as kissing…Yuuta. He always stole kisses from his little brother when they were young. It would almost be the same.

Saeki nodded. He couldn't hide the triumphant note from his voice. "But it must be on the mouth. I trust you not to back down from the bet again? Our friends here shall be our witnesses then."

"So, who is it?" Fuji asked impatiently.

"Ah, Fuji, allow us to wish you the best of luck with your new object of affection….Tezuka Kunimitsu."

All the blood drained from Fuji's face. Of all the…why did it have to be that human frost? _Ice__ cube has more warmth than that guy_.

For the first time in his life, Fuji was afraid he might lose a bet. But he couldn't back down now, could he?


	2. The Plan

**A/N**:Thank you, Thank you so much for your reviews! Glomp! Here is the second part. To clear things up a bit, this fic is mainly about TezuFuji, Saeki just played minor role in it.

**CHAPTER 2 - THE PLAN**

Fuji stood in front of the desk and waited patiently for the golden brown head to look up.

When it finally did, Fuji flashed out his most brilliant smile and scrunched up his eye voltage to the max.

The only response he got was a polite, "What can I do for you?"

Fuji frowned to himself. His most prized weapon - his magnetic blue eyes - didn't work? _Maybe__ the glasses is in the way_.

"Tezuka-kun," Fuji leaned closer towards the boy than was deemed necessary. _My__ magnetism might just work in a shorter distance_. "I need your help."

The _iceberg _didn't budge a little even though Fuji was now near enough to see the tiny flecks of green dotting his hazel eyes through the glasses. "What do you need help in?" Tezuka asked in the same polite, monotonous tone.

Fuji was feeling rather put off. His usual ploy didn't seem to work. _Maybe__ I should try batting my eyelashes next_. But he was afraid he might just puke from the sheer girlishness of it before he get to doing that.

Fuji plowed on ahead with the words he had been rehearsing the whole of yesterday instead. "I ah...I did quite badly in my last Math paper, you see. You might say a set of tennis match has better score than me. I really need brush up for my next test if I planned to graduate this year." _Sounding pathetic is good. It might just squeeze some sympathy out of this ice block, if he had any….. "_I heard that you excel in Math, Tezuka-kun. Akama-sensei personally said that."

"So," Fuji peered at Tezuka, trying to look pitiful without being too desperate, "do you mind tutoring me for the coming test?"

Tezuka remained silent for such a long time that Fuji was _seriously_ contemplating about batting his eyelashes as the last resort.

"All right. After all, it is part of my duty to help a fellow student in need," he finally answered.

Fuji purposefully grabbed hold of Tezuka's left hand with both of his in gratitude. "Why, thank you, Tezuka-kun. You just saved my life." _Yeah, saved from batting my eyelashes and puking in the process._

"How about meeting after school in the library then?" Fuji beamed at him, trying hard to keep himself from rubbing his hands in glee. Stage one of his plan had been smoothly set into motion. _Now_ he had the pretext of studying to work his seduction on iceberg here.

Tezuka nodded back stiffly. "If that is all…" His gaze returned meaningfully to the book he had been reading before he was so rudely interrupted by Fuji's presence.

_What a prude_. _A__ duty to help a fellow student in need indeed_… "Oh, I'm so sorry for disturbing you like that. I will get going then."

Fuji sauntered out of the class, almost tasting victory in his mouth. _Mission….accomplished_.


	3. The Seduction

**A/N: **Thank you for your reviews! Really appreciate them! Hugging myself with joy. I'll try to complete this as soon as possible. I had the story all mapped out in my mind. I just need to transcribe them into words…. Well, here's chapter three. Smex ahead!

**CHAPTER 3 - THE SEDUCTION**

Fuji had been meeting up with Tezuka everyday in the library now after school. Today was their fifth day together. _Two__ more days before the deadline_.

He was starting to get a little desperate when all his subtle seductive ploys didn't have any effect on Tezuka. The stoic boy seemed to be oblivious to everything except making Fuji memorized his equations properly. He was taking this tutor role of his too seriously by half.

_He really is a blockhead not to get all these hints and meaningful touches I've been dropping on his head_, Fuji thought with a sour note. But, other than that, he had to admit that Tezuka made an excellent tutor. His tenacity was to be admired, and everything often sounded so easy after he had gone through with them.

Tezuka was droning on about the Pythagoras Theorem today, but Fuji, as usual, was too busy getting lost in his own thoughts to listen closely.

Fuji stared absently at the boy in front of him, chin propped up on the palm of his hand for support. _He__ really is quite beautiful isn't he_, he mused. But it was a different kind of beauty from Fuji's androgynous one. Tezuka possessed a more masculine kind. Fuji guessed it _must_ have some magnetism as well because he was clearly enjoying what he was seeing.

_His hair is so nice and thick and his green-flecked eyes behind those oval glasses are really beautiful_. _No__ wonder there are a substantial amount of girls falling for him even with that unapproachable attitude of his_. Fuji found himself having a momentary urge to count those green flecks in Tezuka's eyes.

He quickly lowered his gaze and fixed them on those moving lips, hardly paying attention to the words coming out from them. Someone should just tell Tezuka that it was falling on deaf ears. _Hmmm, he__ has nice lips as well. Not too thin or thick, with just enough pink in them to prevent his mouth from looking too hard_. _Maybe__ kissing those delectable lips wouldn't be so bad after all_. He _just _might enjoy it…..

"Fuji-kun, you are not concentrating…." Tezuka pointed out when he found the sandy-haired boy spacing out.

"Ah, gomen, gomen," Fuji immediately apologized with a sheepish smile. "My mind tends to wander easily. Ne, Tezuka. You don't have to put a suffix to my name anymore, OK? We are friends now, right?"

Tezuka nodded slightly, accepting the privilege. "_Can_ we get back to the question in hand?"

_Tezuka is such a dumbass. I guess it's time for me to resort to drastic measures_. "Ne, Tezuka," Fuji started, revising the plan he had just cooked up in his mind. "I'm afraid I won't be able to meet you in the library after school tomorrow. I am expecting a delivery but nobody will be home."

"Shall we cancel our tutorial?" Tezuka asked, his face as serious as ever.

"Oh, but I _really_ need to learn everything as soon as possible before the test." Fuji paused for a moment, as if thinking of a solution. "I know, how about coming to my house after school instead? We can do our studies there."

"Sounds fine to me. I'll meet you by the school gate tomorrow then."

"Really, Tezuka, you are too kind," Fuji beamed. This was such a _splendid_ idea, even if he did say so himself. Within the confines of his home, he could act bolder. He would definitely be able to get a kiss out of Tezuka by then. _60,000__ yen, here I come_. That cool digital camera that he had been eyeing for so long was at last going to be _his_ .…

"Make yourself at home, Tezuka," Fuji said as he invited Tezuka into his room. "Would you like some tea?"

"It's all right, you don't have to go through the trouble. Let's bring out your Math book and get started."

"Oh, OK." Fuji tried to keep the annoyance from his voice. _Prick_, he muttered. He went to get a low table out so that they could study facing each other.

While Tezuka was busy yakking away about algebras and theorems, Fuji was busy thinking about a plan to get Tezuka to kiss him. He needed to come up with something, _fast_. Time was ticking away. Subtlety didn't seem to work. Maybe he should opt for a more direct approach instead?

He glanced at his watch. Three o'clock. _Ah, Kojirou__ should be letting himself in any moment now. _Fuji had planned for his friend to witness the kiss between him and Tezuka so nobody could dispute the fact later.

"Fuji, you are spacing out again," Tezuka said reproachfully.

"Oh, sorry." Making up his mind (_direct__ approach it i_s, he thought resignedly), Fuji leaned across the table until he was a breath away from Tezuka's face. "You have such wonderful lips, Tezuka. How about giving me a kiss?"

"That question is impertinent to Math," Tezuka replied archly, without any change in his stoic features.

"I know, but I really want to taste them," Fuji whispered as seductively as he could, focusing his gaze intently on Tezuka's lips. "You like me, don't you?" He moved in dangerously close, bringing their lips only a finger's breadth away. When he looked into Tezuka's eyes, they were already dilated. _Good_.

Fuji was pretty sure he had heard a noise downstairs. Convinced that his friend had arrived, Fuji swiftly got into action"Kiss me, Tezuka," he demanded.

When Tezuka still hesitated, he gave an impatient yank to his shirt. The act brought Tezuka tumbling towards him and squarely planted his lips on Fuji's. Tezuka's lips felt surprisingly cool and soft.

Fuji knew he had cheated a bit (Tezuka didn't _actually_ initiate that kiss), but Kojirou didn't have to know that. All he needed to see was the two of them in lip-locked. _Yes, VICTORY__ is mine!_ Fuji shouted triumphantly in his head. _Eat__ your heart out, Kojirou. _

He hoped Saeki was witnessing this. For good measure, Fuji decided to prolong the kiss a bit more so that his friend would be _really_ convinced.

"Fuji…." Suddenly strong arms grabbed hold of Fuji and he was tossed none too gently onto the bed. Tezuka's body quickly followed, lying heavily on the smaller boy, before Fuji could even manage to catch his breath. A _very hard_ evident of Tezuka's arousal was poking into his abdomen.

"Now that we have kissed, _why_ stop at that?" Tezuka asked, his tone sounding slightly off from his usual cool and collected one. "Let's go all the way this time, shall we?" He began tearing at Fuji's shirt and pulling his pants down before the other boy could protest.

"Wait….," Fuji gasped as he felt Tezuka's tongue swirling and sucking at a nipple and his hand pumping vigorously at his member. _Shit, this__ is getting out of hand. If I don't stop this, I'm going to get raped…._

"I can't wait anymore," Tezuka whispered in Fuji's ear. "Your teasing and innuendoes for the past few days have brought me to my limit." He deftly turned Fuji around and started licking at his anal opening.

_Uh? So he is susceptible to my charms after all_, Fuji had the time to think smugly to himself before he realized what Tezuka was doing to his butt. He involuntarily arched his back at Tezuka's probing tongue.

"Stop Tezuka…I ah!" Fuji shuddered. His voice seemed to have suddenly escaped him. _Darn__ it, I don't want to be at the bottom. I don't want to be the uke! _His mind screamed silently. _I'm__ not gay! I'm not gay! I'm not gay! Kojirou, you bastard, come and help me!_

"How can you ask me to stop now when you are already so hard and wet? Let me relief you…." Tezuka growled hoarsely, his passion laden voice a strange sound to Fuji's ear. He took Fuji into his mouth and began to suck hungrily.

Fuji made no answer. He couldn't. His brain was too overloaded at the moment with sensations that Tezuka had incited in him to function properly anymore. He felt like his circuits were going to be fried if he didn't find release soon.

In the end, they _did_ it all the way, many, many times, in fact, that Fuji nearly fainted with exhaustion in the aftermath. His last thought before succumbing to sleep was _just _how badly his plan had _backfired_ this time…..


	4. The Discovery

**A/N: **I know, I know, my Tezuka turned out to be a real pervert in disguise…But it made the story more interesting, ne? Everyone always think Tezuka as a strait-laced, but how do we _really _know what was going on in his mind anyway? Maybe he _did _have a perverted side to him…..Hmm, do you think there is too much smut? Maybe I ought to cut them down in the later chapters……Anyway, thanks for all those wonderful reviews. ;D They really inspire me to finish up with the story….

**CHAPTER 4 - THE DISCOVERY**

"Syusuke, I am worried," Saeki said the next day during their usual gathering on the rooftop at lunch break. His face broke into a snide grin. "How is that _butt _of yours faring? In need of any pain relief? I think I have some ointment here…."

Fuji shot his friend an ominous glare but refused to answer. He _had_ just made up his mind never to speak to that useless friend of his again. Leaving him to the mercy of that sex maniac while he himself was secretly watching…..That was just too much.

"Saeki," one of their friend asked in a distressed tone, "Did Fuji really win the bet? He got Tezuka-san to kiss him?"

"Oh, _yes_, he did," Saeki replied dramatically, "Fuji's prowess and allure have been proven beyond a doubt now." He gave a mock salute to Fuji, then added glibly, "Tezuka not only kissed him, he did _much much _more than that, didn't he, Fuji?"

There was a bit of grumbling among their other friends. They were having regrets of ever betting against Fuji. So far, nobody they knew had ever successfully resisted Fuji's charm before…..

When Fuji still remained silent (_albeit__ a tortured one_), Saeki couldn't resist goading his friend a little more. "Ne Syusuke, how did you manage to bring out that _perverted_ side of him anyway? Nobody could've guessed that Tezuka had it in him just by looking at that uptight prude…"

"Enough, you son of a bitch!" Fuji finally exploded. He couldn't take it anymore. He was not in a good mood to begin with, and his butt _did _hurt like hell. Fuji promptly forgot his resolve not to talk to Saeki again in the heat of the moment "What kind of lousy friend are you?!" he started ranting. "Sitting there idly watching while I almost got trampled to death!"

The others turned towards the sudden outburst. Oh, something interesting was happening again…

Saeki cocked his head and pretended to frown. "Oh, I was mistaken then? I could've sworn you were moaning in ecstasy the _whole time _I was there….didn't realize you were actually getting _trampled_. You have to forgive me for my misconception, and hence, my reluctance to come to your aide." He gave an innocent grin.

Fuji looked a bit mortified upon hearing Saeki's words. He couldn't bring himself to believe he did such things! That bastard must've deliberately mistaken Fuji's protests as moans of pleasures..…..

Saeki peered at his friend from beneath his lashes. "If it is any consolation, the two of you made such an erotic picture that I felt like jerking off myself..…"

"You are totally sick in the head, you know that! How could you say something like _that?! _You pervert! Sex maniac! " Fuji yelled disgustedly with as much dignity as he could muster to hide his humiliation, although his face was already flushed beyond recognition with it. How embarrassing could your life get, having your so-called best friend witnessing you _doing_ it?

"Relax, Syusuke," Saeki held up a hand, thinking he had pushed his friend far enough, for _now_. "I didn't do it," he confessed. "_Not_ that I was able to anyway. Seeing your best friend having sex, with a guy, nonetheless, has a dampening effect on the libido….It's almost like watching your _own_ _parents_ doing it…." He gave a shudder of revulsion.

"Eh, what is happening, Saeki? Did Fuji…" a guy from their enraptured audience was courageous (or dumb) enough to ask.

Fuji turned his most deadly glare onto the guy. If looks could kill, the poor guy would be pulverized into dust by now. Instead, he shrank back in fear.

"Stay out of it," Fuji hissed. "I've had enough of this shit! I'm leaving, so I want everybody to pay up now!" He gave the same ominous glare to each of his friend in turn, daring them to refuse. If he didn't have anything, he'd at least have the money and the new camera to look forward to.

There was a bit of scuffing and a lot of sighs as money was forked out and collected. After Fuji had it in his hands, he abruptly turned and walked away. That was the _last_ time he was going to be betting in anything, ever.

"Syusuke, be careful will you? Your butt still hasn't fully recovered yet," Saeki called after him in mock concern when he noticed his friend's awkward stride. The only response he got was a finger sign showing just what Fuji thought of _that_ remark.

A week had passed since the day which Fuji had termed as the greatest downfall of his life. During that entire week, he had managed to avoid Tezuka like a plague.

Fuji was spending his lunch break alone in class, with nothing better to do than to gaze at the little bird chirping happily away on the windowsill. He didn't feel like hanging out with that foul-mouthed friend of his that day.

Suddenly he sensed someone standing beside him and looked up. Fuji blanched.

"Fuji," Tezuka greeted him in his usual cool voice, so unlike his passion-driven one.

Fuji quickly averted his gaze. He couldn't meet Tezuka's eyes now, not after what he had done to him. And the jerk _had_ the nerve to come and find him here...…

"What do you want?" he asked peevishly.

A slight hesitation came from Tezuka. "Do you…want to go and study in the library after school today?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I don't need your help anymore. Please leave, I'm busy bird-watching at the moment." Fuji purposely turned his attention back to the bird, only to realize that it had flown away. _Damn_.

"I see." Silence. And then, "Fuji, are you avoiding me?"

"No, I'm _not_. Stop being paranoid," he denied, purely for the sake of saving himself from having to explain to Tezuka the _real_ reason he was avoiding him. If Fuji could have his way, he wouldn't have to see Tezuka _ever _again, let alone having this conversation

"Then why didn't you answer my calls or return my messages? Why did you run the opposite way when you saw me coming the other day?"

"That…That was because I was too busy to answer my phone, OK? And…for your information, I _wasn't_ going your way at that time, I was trying to get to my class before it was too late….."

"Even though I was standing right in front of it?" Tezuka asked incredulously.

Fuji didn't have the answer to that. He had talked himself into a corner now. Maybe he should just keep quiet and ignore Tezuka until he got the message that he was _not_ welcome here.

He heard Tezuka letting out a small sigh. "Fuji, we _really_ have to talk…."

"There's nothing to talk about," Fuji cut in. He glared at Tezuka. "Will you just leave me alone? We are finished! Over! Get it?"

"No, I won't leave until you promise we could talk this out," Tezuka insisted stubbornly. "Come with me after school, and I promise to do anything you want after that."

"All right, _fine_," Fuji gave in ill-manneredly after a quick assessment of the situation. "One talk, and you'll get out of my hair for good, OK?"

Tezuka nodded and left.

It was the first time Fuji visited Tezuka's house. It was huge, almost like a mansion, and decorated traditionally very much like in the Meiji era. There was even the presence of a koi pond with bamboo pipes and all. Fuji wouldn't be surprised if a samurai happened to spring out on them suddenly .

"Nice place you got here," he muttered, sounding a bit envious.

"Thank you." Tezuka inclined his head. "Let's go to my room. We can talk better there."

Tezuka's room was situated at a secluded part of the house and looked as spacious as the rest of it. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Fuji asked impatiently once he had sat cross-legged on the tatami mat.

Tezuka fiddled with his glasses for a moment. "I heard some rumor circulating around," he finally said, his voice low and serious. "Is it true you made a bet with someone about getting me to sleep with you?"

Fuji was momentarily too caught in surprise to speak. _Drat, he__ found out_. He had a pretty good idea just where the rumor stemmed from. One of these days, he was going to strangle Saeki to death with his bare hands.

He might as well admit it then, even though the original bet was _just _a kiss. _Heck, who__ knows? Maybe Tezuka will get so pissed off that he won't want to have anything to do with me anymore….._

"So, what if it was?" Fuji replied flippantly. "It is no skin off your back or mine. You seemed to enjoy it very much anyway," he added scathingly.

Tezuka was silent after hearing Fuji's confession. He seemed to be deep in thought, his face impassive.

"Well, now that _that _has been cleared up, I'll better get leaving then." Fuji thought that was the end of it as he walked himself to the door. "Don't worry, I know how to let myself out."

A hand stopped him in mid stride. He turned around and saw Tezuka looking at him so intently that it kind of creep Fuji out. "I am not going to let you go so easily," he said quietly.

"What the hell do you want me to do?" Fuji asked coldly, trying to keep the uneasiness from his voice.

Instead of answering, Tezuka pulled Fuji towards his bed and dumped him there. Before Fuji could even figure what was happening, Tezuka had already expertly tied both his hand to the head of the bed with a piece of cloth that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"What the..…?" Fuji jerked frantically at the bonds, feeling rather fearful of the seemingly insane Tezuka.

"I _said_, I am not letting you go so easily," Tezuka repeated emphatically. He started divesting Fuji of his clothes.

_Geez man, not again! _Fuji began to struggle in earnest now. "LET ME GO, YOU PERVERTED JERK!"

It was futile. The binding was too tight. His hands were rendered useless by it. Fuji then thought of using his legs but the idea was swiftly taken away when Tezuka swung his own leg over them, effectively imprisoning him.

"What the #$ do you think you are doing?!" Fuji didn't even care if he was shouting like a girl anymore. "Get off me, you oaf!" He jerked violently around, trying to dislodge Tezuka's body.

"Your struggling is making me more excited, you know, seeing how it brings your body rubbing against my erection," Tezuka informed sardonically, which brought about an immediate cease of movement from Fuji.

Tezuka smirked. Now that he had him docilely under him, Tezuka leisurely ran a finger along Fuji's chest, stopping just before it made contact with a nipple. Fuji's nipple immediately puckered up in anticipation against his will.

"Do you know how I have longed to do this in the past week?" he said softly, drawing circles around the sensitive bud. He looked at Fuji. Fuji glared back. "You like it, don't you? Look at how it has hardened under my touch," Tezuka said before bending his head to capture the said nipple in his mouth, lapping gently at it.

"Hmph…" Fuji bit his lips. He _was not _going to moan, damnit! He'd rather bite his tongue off than give Tezuka the satisfaction.

Tezuka temporarily ceased his onslaught. "You can let it out all you want. My room is quite isolated. Nobody will hear you even if you scream the roof off," he told Fuji.

"Like hell I will!"

Tezuka gave a tiny smile. His gaze traveled to Fuji's lips now. "Did you realize that we have only kissed once? It was the time when you begged me to give you one. I _really _wanted do it again."

_Over my dead body_. If his mouth came anywhere near Fuji's, he'd _make sure_ Tezuka never had the chance to kiss anybody ever again…

Tezuka seemed to read his thoughts. "Ah, but I know how detrimental that is if I tried it now. Maybe later," he mused, "when I am able to get you into the mood."

His gaze continued down towards Fuji's groin. His rod was already semi-hard from all the stimulation, much to Fuji's dismay. "Your body is so responsive, isn't it? Don't worry, Fuji. I will be really gentle with you this time." Tezuka gave that little piece of useless flesh a gentle stroke before taking it into his mouth. His other hand played tantalizingly at his sacs.

Fuji arched his back against his will. Shit, he couldn't hold it in any longer. His restraint was slowly slipping away beneath Tezuka's erotic onslaught. Any minute now he was going to beg Tezuka to put it in.

The thin thread of sanity that still left in him wondered just how his butt was going to take it this time…..

If Fuji had been surreptitiously avoiding Tezuka before, he was now going all _out_ to stay at least 500 meters radius away from him. He didn't want to be attacked again. He needed to protect his virtue, or what was left of it anyway…..

No thanks to Tezuka, Fuji didn't even get to have _proper _sex nowadays. His butt generally hurt too much to even walk, even though Tezuka was considerate enough to use lubricant the other time. How could he get it into that blockhead that _he_, Fuji Syusuke, was not and never would be a gay?!

A hand suddenly shot out and dragged him into an empty classroom while his mind was occupied.

"Hey!" Fuji tried to shake off his attacker.

"Keep your voice down," a voice told him calmly.

Fuji narrowed his eyes. It was Tezuka. Again. "What do you want this time?" he bit out. "Haven't you had enough fun with me? Didn't that last rape make up for the time I betted on you behind your back?"

Tezuka's mouth compressed into a thin line. "You say rape, but you enjoyed it as much as I do."

Fuji had the grace to blush. It _might _be true, but he was _never _going to admit that.

"It's been two days," Tezuka was saying as he drew closer to Fuji. "I miss you. Come over to my house after school."

"Are you nuts?" Fuji looked incredulously at him, as if he was missing a few screws. "Why would I do something dumb like that just because you say so?"

Tezuka fished out a rectangular object from his pocket. "I didn't want to resort to this, but I will if I have to," he told Fuji. He waved the object under Fuji's nose. It was a video tape.

Fuji felt a sense of foreboding. "What…is that?"

Tezuka weighed the tape in his hand. "Our explicit sexual encounter the other day. I had it recorded down. If you don't want the whole school to find out what an uke you are, you'd better do as I say."

"Are you out of your mind? You were in it too!" Fuji was too shocked to fully comprehend the threat.

Tezuka shrugged. "I had it edited. In this tape, they will only see you screwing with some guy. And enjoying it," he added, nonplussed.

Fuji was trembling, partly from anger and partly from shock. If he didn't know Tezuka had a black belt in Karate, he would be sorely tempted to do some violence onto his person. "Give me _that_, you perverted jackass! You are nothing but a detestable swine!" he resorted to name calling instead, while making a grab for the tape.

Tezuka held it out of reach. "Do as I say, and you won't have the fear of this leaking out," he promised quietly.

"Remember, my house after school. I'll be waiting," he said before walking away and leaving Fuji alone.

Fuji slumped onto the floor, feeling totally helpless and dejected. Tezuka's parting words kept on ringing in his ear. How could one tiny bet turned into _such _a nightmare?


	5. The Condition

**A/N: **Once again, thank you for all your reviews.

Reviews Happy me Better inspiration Faster update. He he he….

**CHAPTER 5 - THE CONDITION**

The sexual relationship that Fuji had been forced into with Tezuka was well into its second month now. It always began with Tezuka messaging him the time and place to meet and ended with Fuji going as told, like a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter. The _so_-_called_rendezvous was usually in Tezuka's house, since he had more or less the whole place to himself most of the times, being an only child with working parents.

Sometimes Fuji would resist Tezuka's demands, if only to satisfy the rebellious streak in him, but in the end, he always gave in. He adamantly clung to his belief that it was because he felt threatened, _not_because he was starting to enjoy their trysts much more than he cared to admit…..

"Syusuke, wait up!" Fuji turned around and saw Saeki running up to him. School had just ended, and Fuji found himself free from Tezuka for once as the other boy had gone off to attend his grandfather's birthday party.

"Hey, Syusuke, how come you never hang out with us anymore?" Saeki whined a bit sulkily when he drew abreast with his friend.

"I'm...busy," Fuji replied succinctly as he continued walking out of the school gate.

"Oh, yeah? With what?" Saeki quirked an eyebrow questioningly. Suddenly, his midnight blue eyes widened. He _just _noticed something that hadn't been there before.

"_Is_ that a hickey?" he demanded, sharp eyes fixed on the area of Fuji's neck which had been accidentally exposed.

"_Nn...no!_" Fuji instinctively clamped a hand over his neck and turned away from Saeki's prying eyes.

"Oh, _you_naughty, naughty boy," Saeki taunted mercilessly. "So _that _is where all your time were spent on.…."

"Who is she?" he nudged his friend conspiratorially. "Anyone that I know? Come on, you can tell me. It's not like I am going to snatch her away or something..."

When Fuji remained silent, Saeki prompted him again. "I am your best friend, Syusuke. Best friends are supposed to share _everything_…. Unless you are ashamed of it….." He stopped dead in his track as a thought occurred to him.

"Holy shit! Don't tell me…."

"What?!" Fuji asked sharply, beginning to get _really _annoyed at Saeki's incessant jabbing.

"You are still playing _seme and uke _with Tezuka, aren't you?!" Saeki blurted out. The sudden heat creeping onto his friend's face was answer enough for him.

Saeki laughed till tears rolled down his face. "Hah! _You_pervert. Getting all worked up over nothing when all along you were enjoying _it_, weren't you?" His face then took on a thoughtful expression. "I didn't want to tell you this, but I've always thought you would make a _great _uke..."

Fuji's cerulean blue eyes glinted dangerously. "You really don't put much value in your life, do you?" he asked in a menacing tone.

When Fuji started threatening someone's life, Saeki knew it was time to stop. "All right, all right, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I won't pry into your weird love life anymore. Friends again?"

Fuji ignored him.

Saeki draped an arm around Fuji's shoulder. "Aw, _come__ on_. What do you say we go for a bowl of ramen like we used to? That is, if you are not _too _busy to spare some time with this neglected, old friend of yours….."

Fuji sniffed. "Fine, but only if you are treating."

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Fuji was at Tezuka's house again, having just finished yet another screwing session, as Fuji had spitefully dubbed it. As he was busy putting back on his clothes, Tezuka suddenly asked, in a seemingly too casual tone, "Fuji, who is that guy I often see you hanging out with?"

"Uh?" Fuji turned towards Tezuka as he finished donning the last button on his shirt. "Who are you talking about?"

Tezuka didn't bother to get dressed. Instead, he was taking an unusual interest in the blank wall opposite him while he spoke. "You know, the tall bleach-haired one with dark blue eyes?"

"Oh, you _mean_ Saeki Kojirou." Fuji shrugged. "We go a long way back. I've known him ever since I could walk. He is my neighbor and also..." Fuji stopped. He was about to say _the bastard that got me into this mess in the first place with that bet of his..._but he didn't think Tezuka would appreciate him mentioning about the bet to his face again.

"And also...?"

"Nothing, _slip_ of the tongue," Fuji edged, then went to stand in front of a mirror to tidy up his mussed hair. Tezuka had this annoying habit of running his fingers through Fuji's hair and totally messing it up during sex.

"Fuji, I don't want you to see or talk him again."

Fuji's head snapped around. "You can't do that!" he said belligerently. "What you are asking is impossible. He lives just beside me, for God's sake, not to mention that we go to the same school as well."

Tezuka raised a condescending eyebrow. "I'm sure you'll manage. Didn't you do an excellent job in avoiding me before?" His voice took on a hard edge. "Kindly remember that you are answerable to my every whim as long as I have that condemning tape in my hand."

Fuji _really, really _hated to be threatened like that. His fuse, which was already very short to begin with, gave out and he blew his top. "How long are you going to dangle that stupid threat over my head?! I swear, one of these days, Tezuka, I will get too pissed off to care anymore whether you show the tape to the entire world or not! See what you'll _have _over me then!" Fuji bit out, his eyes burning with blue fire.

Tezuka took Fuji's outburst into consideration. "All right," he finally said after a short period of contemplation, during the time which Fuji had effectively brought his temper under control again. "You win. I will let you go, together with the tape…."

"Uh?" Fuji couldn't believe his ears. _Did__ he just say he is going to..._

"…..on one condition." Tezuka waited for Fuji to fully grasp his words.

"Go on," Fuji said warily, not trusting Tezuka to release him so easily. He'd had probably thought of something so unspeakably gruesome to ascertain Fuji wouldn't have the guts to go through with it.

"You have to accompany me for a four-day trip to my grandmother's onsen…as my _lover_. Do a convincing job of it, and I will give you the tape once the trip is over."

Fuji slowly digested the idea. That _didn't_ seem so hard. He would just have to be a little _nicer _to Tezuka and then freedom would be his...

"How can I trust you to keep your promise?" Fuji asked skeptically.

"You just have to. What do you have to lose anyway?"

_That's true…..And I get to go to an onsen, which I've never been before, out of this.…. _"All right, I'll accept," Fuji quickly replied before he had time to change his mind again.

Tezuka nodded as if he had already expected Fuji's answer. "Oh, and one last thing," he continued, "you are to pretend as a _girl _during the entire time we are there. I don't want to send my grandmother early to her grave by bringing a _guy _lover back."

_So, there is a catch after all_…."Then why couldn't you bring a _real _one instead of me?!" Fuji exclaimed, aghast. "Not only did you force me into having a gay relationship with you, now you want me to be a cross-dresser as well!"

Tezuka wasn't fazed. "You want a way out of this, that's what you have to do," he told Fuji bluntly. "Isn't that a small price to pay for your freedom?"

Tezuka was right, and four days _wasn't _that long. But Fuji had to wonder what was Tezuka's motive in doing this to him? _He__ really is a pervert through and through…._

"Fine! I'll do it," Fuji agreed grudgingly, "but you'll better keep the end of your bargain…."

"I will." He then gave Fuji a warning look. "And _I'm_ serious about what I said earlier about that Saeki guy. Don't see him until this is over, or the deal is off."

Fuji arched an eyebrow. He couldn't believe at Tezuka's atrocious high-handedness. "Why are you so concerned about Saeki anyway? Don't tell me you are _jealous_ of him?"

Tezuka looked as if Fuji had hit a nerve.

_Wait a minute, so, I was right! He really is jealous of Saeki….But that means…._

"Didn't you say you are rushing for time?" Tezuka asked pointedly. "Why don't you get going _now_?" .

"Uh…yes," Fuji stuttered. His mind was reeling. He was suddenly seeing Tezuka in a whole new light. _Had_ Tezuka fallen for him? That notion brought an inexplicable warm fuzzy kind of feeling in the pit of Fuji's stomach. But he didn't dare to dwell too deep into it yet, for fear that he had misread the whole thing….

On the way out, Fuji bumped into Tezuka's grandfather, who looked rather delighted to him.

"Fuji-kun, coming to study with Kunimitsu again?" the old man asked with a smile. Fuji gave a polite bow in greeting.

"You two boys have been getting really close, aren't you? I'm so glad, Kunimitsu used to be such an introverted child that it is difficult for him to make friends."

"Yes, Tezuka-san."

The old man continued talking. "Ah, Kunimitsu, he is a such a good kid. Very hardworking, responsible and respectful to his elders. Too _proper_ for his own good, really."

Fuji almost snickered hearing that. _You__ should see what he did to me behind closed door_. Well, he wasn't about to correct and risk disillusioning the poor old man.

"How about staying for dinner, Fuji-kun?" The old man said next. "We could use a pretty boy like you to brighten it up."

"Thank you for your kind offer, Tezuka-san, but I've already made plans with my family," Fuji declined politely. "We are celebrating my brother, Yuuta's birthday today."

"Ah, that's too bad. Well, I guess I'll see you around some other time then, Fuji-kun."

"Some other time, Tezuka-san, " Fuji agreed. _Or__ at least, until after the trip….._

Suddenly Fuji felt a twinge in his heart at the thought of not coming here anymore. He wondered if it is due to the anticipation of his freedom or _something _else…..


	6. The Trip

**A/N: **Once again, thank you for your reviews. Yeah, I have a thing for pretty guys cross-dressing as well…hence the story xD Enjoy, and tell me what you think!

**CHAPTER 6 - THE TRIP**

Fuji gave the hem of his dress an irritated tug for what must've been the _tenth _time now. He was quickly losing his patience in trying to gain supremacy over it. _Stupid_hem seemed to have a mind of its own, riding up his thigh at the most inappropriate of times.

He heaved a sigh, totally regretting that he had left the choosing of his clothes to Yumiko. _Look_ at what sort of attire she put together for him! A white dress the size of a postage stamp and heels high enough to kill him if he ever had the misfortune of tripping. Not to mention the humiliation of forcing to wear a padded bra…..

Fuji quickly steered his thoughts away to something else before his delicate sensibility could be affronted again with the thought of having that _particular _undergarment on his person…...

He took to observing the other passengers in the bus instead. And was astonished to find that a lot of them, male or female alike, were casting furtive glances his way.

"Tezuka, people _are _staring at me," he whispered uneasily to Tezuka, who was reading quietly beside him.

"It's because you are looking particularly beautiful today," Tezuka replied drolly without looking up from his book.

Fuji cast a surreptitious glance at him. Was Tezuka _taunting _him? But he couldn't detect any malice in that remark so much as amusement...

Fuji stared at the passing scenery outside without really seeing them, mind preoccupied with his latest musing. _Tezuka__ has been acting really weird since this morning, almost too nice for his usual diabolical self...…_

His previous thoughts of Tezuka falling for him came unbidden back to Fuji. But he quickly shot the idea down. It was too ridiculous. _If__ you like a person, you won't go around threatening and forcing him to do loathsome things, right…._his mind argued belligerently.

In the end, Fuji still hadn't got a clue what to make out of Tezuka's inconsistent behavior.

He must have fallen asleep after that, because the next thing he knew, Tezuka was gently shaking him awake. "Fuji, wake up. We are almost there."

Fuji awkwardly lifted his head from Tezuka's shoulder, which he had unknowingly lean against in his sleep. "Oh, that was quick." He gave a small yawn.

"Did you know that you were snoring and drooling all over in your sleep?" Tezuka teased.

Fuji shot him an indignant look. "I did _no_ such things!"

Tezuka smiled wryly. "Are you hungry? I brought some of your favorite wasabi rolls with me." Fuji gratefully accepted the food Tezuka handed him, a little surprise at Tezuka's sudden thoughtfulness. He hadn't realize he was starving.

As the bus came to a full stop in the station, Tezuka quickly got up from his seat. "Come on." He grabbed onto Fuji's right hand with his left and efficiently gathered their belongings in the other.

Fuji stared at their entwined hands, heart suddenly thumping erratically out of control. Tezuka had never held him like _this _before. _Shit_, _what__ is wrong with me?_

Tezuka didn't let go of his hands until they were safely in a cab. The driver turned around in his seat to greet them. "Where are you and this pretty lady here heading?" He gave Fuji an appreciative look, accompanied by a leery grin while Tezuka was providing him with the address of his grandmother's onsen.

Fuji's ears turned pink with mortification. _Bloody__ hell_, he was being hit on! Did the stupid driver really have no inkling at all that Fuji _was_ a guy, albeit a cross-dressing one? Damn this effeminate of his..…

After approximately 45 minutes of the most uncomfortable bumpy ride Fuji ever had the chance to experience, they finally arrived at their destination. The onsen was situated on the craggy slope of a hill, flanked by the sea, which Fuji could clearly see and hear from where he stood, on one side and the village proper at the other. The view looked very picturesque indeed.

As they stood at the foot of the hill, Fuji stared dauntingly at the uncountable number of steps leading up to the onsen. He gulped. How was he going to climb _that_ in his 3-inch high heels? Fuji cursed himself for listening to his sister's dumb advice about how heels would make him looked more feminine in the first place. His feet were going to pay for it _big time _now...

Tezuka sensed Fuji's trepidation. "Do you want me to carry you up the steps?" he suggested nonchalantly.

_That _would've been even worse. He had his pride to think of after all. "No, thank you," Fuji replied churlishly. "I am not some helpless girl. I...I will manage." But all the same, Fuji held on tightly to Tezuka's arm to prevent himself from falling flat on his face as he tottered dangerously on up the steps.

Fuji's feet were screaming bloody murder by the time they reached the last one. He wondered if he had just done some irreversible damage to them. _Women__ are nothing but a bunch of born masochists..._

A tiny old lady in a faded kimono immediately came out to greet them upon their arrival.

"Kunimitsu! You are here! My, look how handsome you've become!" the old lady exclaimed delightedly as Tezuka went over to give her a hug.

"I'm glad to see you again too, Obaasan," Tezuka bestowed a warm smile on her.

The old lady finally noticed Fuji's presence. Looking expectantly at Tezuka, she asked. "And who is this pretty young lady here?"

Tezuka pulled Fuji forward and introduced him. "I hope you don't mind that I brought a friend with me this time, Obaasan. Her name is….Fuji Syukiko."

_Eh? What sort of stupid name is that?_

Tezuka's grandmother was looking at Fuji with piqued interest now. Hastily, he gave a deep bow, or as much as he could manage in his heels without ending up toppling over. _Act__ like a girl, act like a girl,_ he muttered to himself.

"Nice to meet you, Obaasan." Fuji tried to simper as a girl would in this situation. He thought he was doing a rather good job at it, but Tezuka's strange look said otherwise.

"Oh, the pleasure is _all _mine." The old lady beamed at him. She turned back to her grandson. "You finally took my advice and brought someone along with you, didn't you? I'm glad." Giving Tezuka's cheek a light pat, she winked at Fuji. "Don't let her go. She's a gem."

Fuji blushed at the compliment. _Now_he felt bad about deceiving such a nice old lady. _This__ is all Tezuka's fault…._

"Well, don't just stand there. Come on in," Tezuka's grandmother beckoned them.

Once he left those accursed heels of his behind at the door, Fuji felt his mood became considerably brighter. He nearly sighed with relief.

"Oh," Tezuka's grandmother suddenly stopped in her track. Her face fell.

"What is it, Obaasan?" Tezuka asked with concern.

"I just remembered that the onsen is fully booked this holiday season. You didn't tell me you were going to bring somebody," she chided. "So, I didn't reserve any extra room for Fuji-chan here."

"Oh, that's all right," Tezuka waved the problem aside as if it was no big deal. "Fuji and I can share my room."

Two pairs of stunned eyes looked at him as if he had just sprouted two horns on his head. _Did__ Tezuka forget that I'm supposed to be a girl? What was he thinking, saying that we can share a room? What will his grandmother think?_

Tezuka's grandmother, for her part, wisely kept her opinion to herself. "I guess it's settled then," she smiled. "Why don't you two go on to your room first and I'll bring the extra futon over later?"

As they made their way to the allocated room, Fuji hissed at Tezuka. "Why the hell did you tell her that we are going to share a room? Didn't you say your grandmother was very conservative?"

Tezuka shrugged. "Oh, she understands. She knows what it is like to be young." Then he added almost absently. "Which is an entirely different matter from being gay."

_How true that is_, Fuji thought bitterly. It was the reason he would never let himself to be labeled as one. Any deviation from the norm was frowned upon by society. An abomination of nature. Even though people might say they were beginning to be open-minded about it, the stigma was still too deeply ingrained in them to be washed away so easily….

"Here we are." Tezuka's voice brought Fuji out of his sordid thoughts. He entered the room, and came face to face with a fantastic view of the mountain side and the sea through the window.

"Wow, Tezuka, this is magnificent!" Fuji breathed.

"I know. That is why Obaasan always keeps this room for me when I come to stay."

Fuji was still admiring the view when Tezuka spoke again. "Fuji, we still have a couple of hours before dinner. Why don't we go and have a dip in the hot spring in the meantime?"

"Ok," Fuji agreed readily, eager to have his first experience in a hot spring.

Tezuka brought out two sets of non-descript beige-colored yukatas from the cupboard and handed one to Fuji. "Remove all your clothes and put this on," he ordered before doing the same himself.

Fuji was only too happy to remove that breath-impeding dress of his. When he was down to his underwear, Fuji was suddenly aware that Tezuka was staring quietly at him.

He frowned. "What _are _you looking at, pervert?"

Tezuka's mouth quirked. "Nothing. It's just that you look really sexy in _that _G-string, it's kind of turning me on."

Fuji's face heated up. Damn Yumiko for asking him to wear one. Shooting Tezuka a murderous glare, he quickly turned his back towards him and donned his yukata before removing his underwear.

"Are you ready?"

"Hnn." Fuji still hadn't quite able to bring his face color back to normal yet.

Tezuka grabbed a couple of towels before leading the way to the hot spring.

As they walked silently down the corridor, Fuji suddenly thought of something. "Tezuka, I heard that the hot springs are gender separated. Since I am a guy pretending to be a girl, where _should _I go?" he asked apprehensively.

"Don't trouble yourself with that. Obaasan has one reserved for personal use, so we'll go to that _one_."

They finally arrived at the hot spring. It was the size of a small pool, sitting amidst an outcrop of boulders. Steam rose out of it and vaporized into thick mist around them. The water bubbled invitingly. It looked heavenly to Fuji.

Tezuka had already discarded his yukata and moved into the water. Fuji quickly followed suit. The moment his feet dipped into the water, he gave a sigh of pure contentment. The water _felt _so good on his aching feet. He slowly submerged himself up to the chest level.

_Ahhh, this is so soothing_, Fuji thought with eyes closed. He could feel his body beginning to relax, the tight knots of his muscles loosening up and….something tickling at his ear.

Fuji abruptly opened his eyes. Tezuka has somehow gotten behind him, his breath ruffling the hair near Fuji's ear. "Let's do it here," he whispered lustfully.

"N..no! Are you crazy?!" Fuji tried to fight off Tezuka's wandering hands. "What if somebody come in?"

"Nobody uses this pool except for my grandmother, and she's currently busy attending to her guests," Tezuka told him. "Any more excuses you can think of?"

Fuji couldn't think of any at the moment. Taking his silence as consent, Tezuka dragged him to a nearby boulder. He gently settled Fuji on it.

"Are you comfortable?" Tezuka asked.

Fuji gave a small nod, not trusting himself to speak.

Tezuka smiled. "Good. Remember now that you have to keep your voice down, because the public hot spring is _just _next to here," he warned before burying his mouth on the hollow of Fuji's neck.

The idea was such a turn on for Fuji that when he reached orgasm moments later, he had to bite onto his fist to keep himself from screaming.

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That evening, they had a scrumptious dinner with Tezuka's grandmother. Eyeing the banquet before him, Fuji was having a difficult time to choose what to eat first.

"You are too skinny as it is, Fuji-chan. Eat more, eat more," the old lady urged, while heaping an unreasonable huge amount of food onto Fuji's bowl.

"H..hai."

"Tell me about yourself, Fuji-chan," Tezuka's grandmother inquired once she was satisfied that Fuji had enough food piled on his platter.

Fuji looked up from his wasabi sashimi. "Me? Oh, there is really nothing very interesting about me. I come from an average family, with an older sister and younger brother," he said. "My father is a businessman and my mother owns a beauty parlor. I have just recently moved to Tokyo from Chiba."

"So, how long have you children known each other?" came the next question.

"I only get to know Tezuka when I started my high school years in Seishun Gakuen. I was previously from St. Rudolph all-boys….Ooouff," Fuji suddenly coughed out as he felt Tezuka stamping hard on his foot.

"Fuji-chan, are you all right?" Tezuka's grandmother asked, a little concerned.

"H..hai. Just some wasabi choking up my nose, that's all," Fuji laughed nervously as he took a sip of water. He'd _nearly _blew everything away with that slip….

Tezuka quickly took over the conversation. "Obaasan, Mother has been asking about your health. She's worried that you are working yourself too hard."

"Don't you worry about me." Tezuka's grandmother gave a laugh. "I am as healthy as a horse despite my old age. The onsen has magical properties, you know." They continued to talk about Tezuka's family for a while, the earlier slip forgotten. Fuji could only sighed with relief.

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After dinner, Tezuka's grandmother suggested that they take a stroll along the beach. Unable to find any excuse, they complied.

The moon was full that night, shining brightly down at them and lighting their path clearly. The sand felt cool and soft beneath their feet and the air was tinged with the salty taste of the sea.

Fuji used to live in Chiba, which was close to the coastline, so he had been brought up to love the sea. He couldn't resist the urge now to have a little dip in the sea, letting the waves gently lapped at his feet.

"Come and join me, Tezuka," Fuji beckoned, but the other boy maintained a fair distance from the shore, almost as if he was afraid of it.

"It's all right. You go ahead."

Fuji shrugged. Maybe Tezuka didn't have any affinity to water..…

He frolicked to his heart's content before moving up to where Tezuka was patiently waiting for him on the embankment. He plopped himself beside Tezuka and giggled like a child. "That was fun."

Tezuka smiled. "I'm sure it was. Why don't we rest here for a while?"

Fuji nodded. He lied on his back, gazing up at the moon. It looked impossibly huge from here. Soon Fuji's eyelids began to feel extremely heavy and he fell asleep before he knew it.

Something was gently shaking him. "Go away," Fuji muttered before slipping back into his sleep again.

The shaking became more persistent. "Wake up, Fuji. It's time."

Somewhere in his sleep fogged mind, Fuji realized that whoever was doing this to him wasn't going to stop bugging him until he did so. Slowly, groggily, Fuji cracked open his eyes, one at a time. He found Tezuka's face looming over him.

Fuji was aware of a couple of things at once as he became more fully awake. One, his head was lying on Tezuka's lap, with a warm coat spread over him. Two, there were sounds of waves crashing onto the shore in the background.

He sat up abruptly when he realized that he was still on the beach. "Tezuka, why didn't you wake me up? What time is it now?"

Tezuka shrugged. "Probably about six something in the morning." His eyes were staring intently out on the sea, as if waiting for something.

Fuji was aghast. "You mean I slept _through_ the night? Didn't you sleep at all?" Fuji suddenly noticed the absence of Tezuka's coat and the cold breeze coming from the sea, stinging his cheeks. _Tezuka__ must have given his coat to me to keep me warm while I was sleeping..._

Instead of feeling grateful, Fuji got mad instead. "What the hell do you think you are doing?! Giving up your coat while you yourself are sitting here freezing your butt off? Don't you have any _sense_ at all? What am I going to..."

Tezuka quieted Fuji in the only way he could think of. He kissed him on the lips. Fuji abruptly ceased his ranting.

"Don't talk," Tezuka told him as he broke away. His returned his gaze to the sea again. This time his face broke into a tiny smile. He pointed. "Look."

Fuji's turned towards the direction indicated and momentarily lost his breath. A warm glowing ball was slowly rising from beneath the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of blue, pink, orange and red. Golden rays merged and reflected, creating a symphony of colors so impressive that surely heaven must have looked like that.

Fuji, for all his time spent on the beach, had never watch a sunrise before. He felt humbled by the sheer majesty of it. "It's breathtaking, Tezuka," Fuji murmured, eyes fixed on the rising sun. His earlier vexation with Tezuka was forgotten.

"I know. I want us to be able to share this together." Tezuka took hold of Fuji's hand and gave it a squeeze, gazing out to the sea as well.

Fuji felt inexplicably blissful at the moment. Somehow, he could feel the squeeze all the way to his heart.


	7. The Festival

**CHAPTER 7 - THE FESTIVAL**

Fuji was unusually quiet on the way back from the beach. He _really _didn't know what to expect from Tezuka anymore. Doing something like that…It was getting more and more difficult to hate the guy when he was being _this _sweet to him. Fuji found himself fast forgetting the reason to that.

"Do you want to go to the village after breakfast?" Tezuka asked, breaking the silence.

Even if he had said otherwise, Fuji could tell how tired Tezuka was from the obvious dark smudges under his eyes. "Not until you have a good rest first."

"I'm fine."

"No, you are not! I'm not going to be answerable to your grandmother if you happened to collapse on the way."

Tezuka stopped in his stride and searched Fuji's eyes. "Is that the only reason that you are concerned?" he asked softly.

The expectant tone in Tezuka's voice disturbed Fuji. "What _other_ reason is there?" he replied peevishly.

Tezuka looked away. "Nothing." He sounded disappointed at Fuji's answer. "All right then, we'll go after lunch if you'd like."

They walked in an awkward silence after that. Fuji bit his lips. _What__ was Tezuka hoping for me to say?_

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Tezuka brought Fuji to the village after lunch as promised. Fuji chose a pair of sturdy Japanese slippers this time for the trip. No _more _high heels.

During their entire short hike to the village, Tezuka held fast onto Fuji's hand. Fuji didn't protest or pull away. The truth was, he was secretly thrilled to have Tezuka's warm hand enveloping his slightly smaller one.

They were greeted by a flurry of activities on their arrival. Brightly colored ornaments, banners, flags and streamers of all shapes and sizes were festooned everywhere. There was a makeshift stage in the center, and wooden stalls being set up neatly in two rows.

"What is going on, Tezuka?" Fuji asked in astonishment.

"They are preparing for tomorrow night's annual festival, which is held to commemorate the founding of this village. There will be lots of food, games and performances, and later, a display of fireworks," Tezuka explained. "We can come for it if you want."

Fuji nodded. It sounded like fun.

As they walked into the village proper, Fuji was amazed to find how quaint and laid back it was. It looked like some scene straight out of a movie. There was a surreal feel to his surroundings, right down to the buildings itself. Fuji marveled at everything he came across. Things so outdated that he didn't know they existed in this age and era. He had to rely on Tezuka to brief him on them, which the other boy did perfectly. Fuji was seeing him in a new respectful light now, thinking how smart Tezuka was to have such vast knowledge.

They went to visit the temple and then headed to the various shops lined nearby. Fuji's camera was clicking away at everything in sight. He couldn't get enough pictures of them. He also found himself secretly taking some photos of Tezuka as well, without thinking too deeply as to why he did that.

Everywhere they went, they received friendly greetings. Fuji even got a few cat calls, much to his embarrassment. The people in this village seemed to know Tezuka very well. They almost always stop him to have a chat.

"Kunimitsu, it's about time you pay us old folks a visit!"

"Tezuka-kun, long time no see! Coming to visit your grandmother again?"

"Wow, you got yourself a girlfriend this time! She's a beauty. What's your name, love?" a few suggestive winks directed at Fuji.

"Kunimitsu, be sure to make yourself available for the festival tomorrow night. It'll be grander than most this year, I tell you. And bring that nice girlfriend of yours as well."

Tezuka answered all these with his usual aloofness and charm, or _lack _of it, in his case. The villagers liked him all the same.

Fuji had such a wonderful time exploring the village that he was almost reluctant to leave when the time came. He promised to come and visit again if the opportunity ever arose.

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That night, at dinner, Tezuka's grandmother chatted animatedly about the upcoming festival. She then gave Fuji an appraising look. "We have to get you a kimono, Fuji-chan. _All_the young ladies wear them at the festival. I think Ayana's old one will suit you. You are just about the size."

_What? I have to wear a kimono?_

She eyed Fuji critically. "Though you are much skinnier, and less well-endowed…." As if that served as a reminder to her, she began to heap more food onto Fuji's bowl. "Eat more, eat more!"

"….."

Fuji looked at Tezuka for help but the other boy remained silent, save for a tiny quirk of amusement on his lips.

Tezuka's grandmother asked Fuji to accompany her to the attic after dinner. After rummaging around for a while, she finally found the box that she wanted. Fuji quickly went to give her a hand.

"Ah, here is the kimono that I want you to wear," the old lady exclaimed happily as she pulled out an old but well-preserved kimono. It was made from rich blue silk and shot through with silver embroidery of sakura blossoms. It was the most _beautiful _piece of clothing Fuji had ever seen.

"You shouldn't have, Obaasan," Fuji said in awe.

The old lady waved it aside. "Nonsense. This kimono will look good on you. It brings out the blue in your eyes." She smiled. "Do you need help in wearing it tomorrow?"

"Ah..no, no, that's not necessary," Fuji hastened to reply. _Tezuka's__ grandmother might just faint from shock if she happened to see something that shouldn't be there…. _"I'm an expert at it, really. My mother taught me."

She nodded amicably. Then, as if just remembering, she fished something out from the folds of her kimono. "And, this is for you as well, Fuji-chan."

Fuji accepted the object in his hand. It was a pendant made from the purest white jade and carved to resemble a phoenix. The artwork was exquisite. _It__ must have worth a fortune…_

"I…I can't receive such an expensive gift, Obaasan," Fuji stuttered.

"Are you going to refuse this old lady the whole night?" she asked archly.

"But…"

"I gave the same pendant to Kunimitsu but it has the image of a dragon instead of a phoenix. Kunimitsu must have like you very much if he went through the trouble of bringing you here. This is my gift for both of you. It is said that these pendants will strengthen the bonds between lovers. You are not going to make this old lad sad by refusing this gift, are you?"

Fuji had no other choice but to accept. His earlier misgivings about deceiving Tezuka's grandmother came back to haunt him now. She was putting too much hope in him and he felt bad at having to eventually disappoint her.

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The next night dawned with excited bustle from the guests at the onsen as well. They got the news of the festival and were looking forward to enjoy themselves there.

Tezuka found Fuji in their room, struggling with his kimono. His cheeks were flushed with exertion.

"Allow me." Tezuka deftly turned him around. A tuck here and several folds there. Finally a pull, and he was done with Fuji's kimono.

"Hey, where did you learn to do that?" Fuji asked, amazed.

"I have a keen eye for observation," came Tezuka's impassive reply. "Come out to the porch when you are ready. I'll be waiting there."

After another bout of fussing over his hair with the flower clip Tezuka's grandmother had kindly provided him, Fuji was finally ready to go. _If__ I have to dress up like a girl, I might as well go all the way….._

He put on a pair of Japanese clogs and slowly made his way to the porch. Although the kimono was kind of restricting, it was still indisputably better than _all _the other clothes Yumiko had packed for him.

Fuji found Tezuka sitting on the porch, eyes fixed far away on the twinkling lights of the village below. The festival had already started, by the looks of it. Music could be heard wafting up to them.

Tezuka turned his head and smiled when he heard Fuji approached. He got up.

As Fuji got his first good glimpse of Tezuka, he realized just how impressive the other boy looked in his black yukata. He was _made _for wearing those traditional clothes.

"Ah…you look nice," Fuji found himself commenting before he could stop himself.

"You look…beautiful as well," Tezuka returned the compliment. "I like what you did to your hair." His eyes were hungrily devouring Fuji.

"Don't look at me like that, you _pervert_." But Fuji couldn't stop himself from blushing. _I__ swear I'm turning more and more into a girl the longer I spent with Tezuka……_

Tezuka held out a hand to him. "Shall we get going then?"

Fuji nodded, and unassumingly put his hand in Tezuka's.

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The festival was already in full swing by the time they reached there. There were a lot of people milling around, chattering excitedly and enjoying the merriment. Children were running about, playing hide-and-seek and catch-the-thief with their friends.

Fuji was entranced. He went from stall to stall, trying everything in sight. There were all kinds of souvenirs and food there. Tezuka bought him a stick of sweetened crab apples, which was surprisingly delicious. They also got themselves some takoyaki.

Fuji tried his hand in snatching the goldfish too, but it wasn't as easy as it seemed. Finally, he managed to catch one, but gave it to a small child who had been eyeing wistfully at the fish in the tank.

On the stage, singing and dancing performances had already begun. There was also to be a karaoke contest. Fuji thoroughly enjoyed himself watching these.

At last, it was time for the fireworks. Tezuka dragged him to an isolated clearing. "We can see the fireworks better from here," he told Fuji.

There was a loud boom, and suddenly the sky was lit up by the many intricate patterns of fireworks. Fuji stared at them, mesmerized.

Tezuka was maintaining his hold on Fuji's hand all through the night. He turned towards Fuji now. "May I kiss you?"

Fuji looked at him. _Just__ do it if you want to. You don't have to ask me, you idiot……_

As Tezuka slowly bent his face forward, Fuji closed his eyes in anticipation…..

"Well, well, what do we have here?" came a sneering voice. Tezuka and Fuji broke apart as if being caught in a compromising position.

A tall, mean-looking youth emerged from the surrounding foliage with a couple of his goons following close behind. He had spiky grey hair and small piggy eyes. He looked like some nasty character out of a story book.

Fuji felt Tezuka stiffened beside him.

"Tezuka Kunimitsu. Fancy seeing you here," the youth said. He looked at Fuji. "What is a four-eyed wimp like you doing with such a pretty chick?"

"Akutsu," Tezuka muttered, his body rigid and unmoving. It was almost as if Tezuka was _afraid _of this Akutsu. Fuji found that unbelievable.

Akutsu reached out to pull Fuji roughly to him. "You are much better off with me, sugar. What say we go somewhere, just the two of us, uh?" he leered at Fuji in a sickening way.

Fuji glanced at Tezuka, who still remained rooted to the spot. _Isn't__ Tezuka coming to my rescue? _

Akutsu was talking to him again. "Come on, sweetheart. I _know _just the place where we can get to know each other, _really_, _really_, well." He made a grab at Fuji and tried to force a kiss on him.

Fuji snapped. Putting all his strength behind it, he dealt a blow to Akutsu's jaw. A resounding crack ensued. Fuji tried to keep himself from wincing in pain, afraid that he might have broken his knuckles with that blow. He could _just _imagined what Akutsu must be feeling right now.

"Unhand me, you brute!" Fuji jerked his hand free from Akutsu's grip. _I__ have my male pride and I refused to be man-handled like this……_

Akutsu was holding his injured jaw with murder in his eyes. He looked as if he was going to hit Fuji in return.

"So, you have resorted to hitting _girls _now?" Fuji taunted in disgust.

Akutsu glared at him but didn't attack.

"Good. At least you still have some decency in you. But too bad I have no such qualms to do _this_," Fuji told him before aiming a hard kick at…Akutsu's nether region. How he did that in that kimono of his was beyond Fuji as well.

Akutsu's eyes bulged before he collapsed onto the ground. While his goons were bust fawning over their leader, Fuji dragged Tezuka away as quickly as possible.

"How is that hand of yours?" Tezuka asked, finally coming out of his trance-like state.

Fuji glared at him. "Oh? Did it _just _occur to you now that I might have been injured?"

Tezuka didn't reply, or else he was too ashamed to say anything.

When they arrived back at the onsen, Tezuka spoke again. "Let me have a look at you hand. It needs to be tended to." He went to fetch the first-aid kit.

Fuji's knuckles were scrapped, but otherwise fine. He could still move all fingers. Nothing broken. When Tezuka applied some salve on it with a cotton, the sting made Fuji yelled. "Ouch! Watch it, buster!"

"Don't be such a baby," Tezuka told him mildly, continuing to clean the wound.

Fuji gave him an ominous glare. "You are the one to talk," he said sourly. "Why the hell did you freak out back there? Didn't you have a black belt in karate or something?"

Tezuka kept his gaze safely averted. He looked like he wasn't proud of the way he acted back there as well. "I guess I still have that childhood phobia of mine when I saw Akutsu," he mumbled.

"What phobia?" Fuji didn't know anything could ruffle Tezuka's composure.

Tezuka heaved a sigh. Reluctantly, he told Fuji his story. "I've known Akutsu since I was six. A bunch of us, including Akutsu and my best friend, Oishi, used to play together whenever I came to visit my grandmother here."

"We actually didn't want to hang out with Akutsu, because even from young, he already had that cruel streak in him. He would torture everything he could get his hand on, like plucking out all the feathers of an injured bird and breaking its wings before feeding it to his cat."

"One day, he became curious to know why things float in water and chose Oishi and I to test out his theory, because we were the only two who dared to occasionally stood up to him. He made our friends tied our hands up and attached huge rocks to our feet. Then, he threw us into the sea and watched if we would float up with all that weight. Luckily, one of the kids got scared of the game and went to the village for help. I was saved from drowning, but…."

Tezuka's expression was grim. "But my friend Oishi, wasn't so lucky. Because he panicked, he took in a huge gulp of water and drowned within minutes."

Fuji was shocked to hear such a morbid tale. "What about Akutsu? Wasn't he punished for this?"

Tezuka laughed bitterly. "He was only mildly reprimanded because they assumed he didn't know better since he was still a kid. And moreover, he was the village chief's grandson. They didn't dare make a big deal out of it, so it was treated as a freak accident."

"Is that why you are afraid of the sea?" Fuji asked shrewdly, recalling Tezuka's reluctance to join him the other day.

Tezuka nodded. "It reminds me of my friend, Oishi. That incident really made a deep impact in me. I became withdrawn and distrustful of people, and for a time, I didn't even come to visit my grandmother here, for fear of running into Akutsu."

Fuji felt as if he could almost sympathize with that little Tezuka. To have your best friend dying on you this way….. No wonder Tezuka was so cold and aloof most of the times.

Tezuka finished bandaging Fuji's hand and gave him a strain smile. "There, it's done. We need to go to bed now. We have a long trip in front of us tomorrow."

He turned off the light. As Fuji lay there in the darkness, he found himself getting more and more intrigued by Tezuka.

**A/N: **I know, I know, I killed Oishi off even without him making an appearance in this fic (_running__ away from Oishi fans_). But I couldn't think of any other best friend for Tezuka. :P Once again, thank you for those lovely reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thoughts appreciated. ;)

_P/s_: Thanks Reddwarfer, for correcting on my mistake in the previous chapter. :D I could've sworn I wanted to type stigma…probably my computer had gone auto-correcting it and I must've missed it. Thanks again.


	8. The Confession

**A/N: **I'm so sorry that some of you have to see the unedited version of the chapter 8. I actually wanted to look through it again before posting it up. But somehow, it appeared together with chapter 7. :D So here is the finalized version.

**CHAPTER 8 - THE CONFESSION**

Tezuka's grandmother came to see them off the next day. She gave each of them a hug, her eyes misting over. "I'm going to miss having you children around. Do come and visit this old lady again soon."

As they settled in the bus for the journey home, Fuji's mind wandered back to Tezuka's grandmother parting remark to him. The old lady had pulled him aside and winked conspiratorially. "Kunimitsu is a fine young man, even if I, as his grandmother, say so." She looked at Fuji directly. "As long as he's happy, I don't mind who or what kind of person he's with. Take good care of him now, Fuji-chan."

_What did Tezuka's grandmother mean by that? Did she know? _Fuji bit his lip, troubled.

Thinking about the old lady brought another thing to mind.

Fuji gingerly fished out the pendant that Tezuka's grandmother had given him. "Tezuka, I think you should have this back. Your grandmother gave it to me, but I don't think I could accept such an expensive gift." He handed it to Tezuka but the other boy didn't make any effort to take it.

"Keep it," Tezuka told him. "If she wanted you to have it, you should just keep it. Treat it as a memento of the time we spent there. It's not an heirloom or anything like _that_, so don't worry about it," he added.

Fuji nodded, letting that issue go, but there was _still _something troubling him. Now that the vacation was over, they had to come back and face reality. "What happened….now, Tezuka?" he asked tentatively.

Tezuka looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Our agreement…"

Tezuka glanced away. "Oh, I guess you are free to do as you like after this," he said evenly.

_Tezuka really meant to keep his promise? _Fuji didn't know how he felt. "And the tape…"

Tezuka gave a laugh, but there was no joy in it. "There _never _was any tape in the beginning, Fuji."

"What?!"

Tezuka wouldn't meet his gaze. "I guess I'd better confessed everything now, seeing that…." he trailed off, as if he had come to terms with something and was going to give up on it. "I didn't record _anything, _Fuji. If you were smart enough, you would've demanded to see the tape first before giving in to my demands."

Fuji felt as if he had been slapped. "Why the _hell _did you do that then?!" he asked furiously.

"I did it because I wanted you to stay with me." Tezuka looked down at his hands. "I have liked you ever since the first year of high school, Fuji. But you were so popular and always surrounded by your friends and admirers. You probably didn't even know that I was alive. So it was quite a pleasant surprise when you approached me the other day and asked for my help. I thought that I could use this opportunity to get you to like me."

He shook his head. "I…I thought that you were growing to like me as well. And then you started avoiding me. All I could think of was that I had scared you away with...my unbridled passion. But then I found out that you were with me because of a bet. I got angry, but still, I wanted you. So, I came up with the tape threat to keep you by my side."

He looked at Fuji now, as if expecting the other boy to hit him or something. "This trip was supposed to be my final attempt to get you to fall in love with me, but it obviously didn't work." He laughed bitterly at himself. "You still couldn't wait to get away from me, could you? I am such a pathetic fool….."

Fuji was stunned silent by Tezuka's confession. He didn't know how to react. _This__ is too sudden. Tezuka loves me all along? But how could he? We are both guys….._

_What should I do? _Fuji couldn't seem to find the right words to say to Tezuka. In the end, they parted without saying anything at all.

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"Ne Syusuke, why are you so moody nowadays?" Saeki asked his friend one day while they were hanging out in Fuji's room.

Fuji was absently picking at the lint on his blanket.

Saeki waved a hand in front of him. "Heavens to Syusuke! Did you hear me? If you are not going to talk, I might as well go back," he grumbled.

Fuji gave him an apologetic grin. "I'm sorry, Kojirou. I am not feeling well today."

"You have been feeling under the weather _everyday _since you came back from that onsen trip," Saeki sighed exasperatedly. "You always keep to yourself and you don't even go out with us anymore."

There was genuine concern in his voice now. "Syusuke, I am _really _worried about you. This cannot go on indefinitely. Have you _even _been eating these days? You seem to be getting thinner and thinner. _Please_tell me what is bothering you."

Fuji had never seen his friend so serious before. He was touched, and made up his mind to tell him everything. Saeki probably might not be able to help much, but at _least_ there was someone to share his problems with now.

Saeki was silent for a moment after Fuji finished telling him about Tezuka's confession. Then he laughed. "You dolt, you _are _in love with him! I _already _had my suspicion of it since the beginning." He added in a self-congratulatory tone to himself.

Fuji wanted to deny but found it to be useless. Saeki knew him too well.

"But that is good right?" Saeki asked then. "Now all you have to do is to confess to him too, and," he snapped his finger, "happily ever after for both of you."

Fuji resumed his picking on the lint. "It's easier _said _than done, Kojirou. In case you failed to notice, we are both guys…."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Saeki asked, perplexed. "Isn't what is important is that you both _love _each other? Or are you so _superficial_ that you would let something like other people's opinion to get in the way of your love….."

Fuji mulled over Saeki's words. His friend was right. He shouldn't let what other people might think of him to snatch his happiness away….Loving someone, even though he was of the same gender, was not wrong….how could something as pure as love ever be wrong, no matter what form it took?

Right now, the most important thing was that Fuji had found somebody he really _loved_.

He smiled gratefully at Saeki. "Thank you, Kojirou. You've somehow managed to knock some sense into me. "

Fuji turned his thoughts towards the task in front of him. _And__ now, if only I wasn't too late to patch things up with Tezuka..…._

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Tezuka felt somebody standing in front of his desk and looked up to find a smiling Fuji there. He blinked several times, to ascertain that he wasn't hallucinating. Tezuka had thought that Fuji would never want to speak to him again after the way they parted three weeks ago.

Fuji was leaning towards him, so close that Tezuka's entire vision was filled with the unearthly blue of the other boy's eyes. "Tezuka, I need your help."

"What…can I do for you?" Tezuka tried to sound as cool as possible.

"I am hopelessly failing at this lesson called love. Would you be so kind as to be my partner and helped me to study for _it_?" Fuji's eyes were shining with hope.

As the implication of Fuji's words sank in, Tezuka's face broke into the most beautiful smile Fuji had ever seen. "It would be my _pleasure_."

**THE END**

**A/N: **Yay, yay! I finally finished my story! I am so very proud of myself this moment! Thank you, thank you for your continuing supports! You are all such sweeties. Well, I hope you enjoyed the ending. I am planning to start another story (TezuFuji based, of course), but it would depend on how the reviews of my first completed fic goes. So be kind, OK? XD


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